If you check out the classic French pharmacy brands and their moisturizers for the most sensitive, allergy prone skin, they usually contain mineral oil. We do a Best of INCIDecoder email once a month with the most interesting products and ingredients we bump into. This is no coincidence. Healing balm for cracked, chafed & extremely dry skin. CeraVe Healing Ointment: rated 4 out of 5 on MakeupAlley. Ceramides make up 50% of the goopy stuff that's between our skin cells and play a super important role in having a healthy skin barrier and keeping the skin hydrated. It is also non-comedogenic, though its pure form is very heavy and greasy so combination and oily skin types might want to avoid it anyway. Well, the answer is probably a no, but they do work to some extent. Pretty much the current IT-preservative. Anti-Aging . You can usually find it right in the very first spot of the ingredient list, meaning it’s the biggest thing out of all the stuff that makes up the product. According to the Futurederm blog, it might be able to improve wrinkles when combined with other amino acids, glycine and leucine. Panthenol might make your hair softer, more elastic and helps to comb your hair more easily. Overall, we feel that the scaremongering around mineral oil is not justified. It's one of the important lipids that can be found naturally in the outer layer of the skin. So ceramides form kind of a "water-proof" protecting layer and make sure that our skin remains nice and hydrated. There is no evidence whatsoever that cosmetic, USP grade petrolatum is carcinogenic. A form of vitamin E that works as an antioxidant. For dry and super-sensitive skin types it is a great option. An easy-to-formulate, commonly used, nice to have ingredient that’s also called pro-vitamin B5. You can usually find it right in the very first spot of the ingredient list, meaning it’s the biggest thing out of all the stuff that makes up the product. The study concluded that  "based on the animal and human data reported, along with the AAD recommendation, it would appear reasonable to conclude that mineral oil is noncomedogenic in humans.". It also has a long history of safe use, as it was first used as a skincare product more than 100 years ago, in 1872 to be precise. Like this, the products can stay more stable over time. Moisturizer. So if you use a soap and you notice your skin is becoming dry, now you know why. While the occlusivity of mineral oil is in the same league as the occlusivity of plant oils, petrolatum is in a league of its own. It is a very controversial ingredient with pros and cons and plenty of myths around it. CeraVe Baby Healing Ointment is free from SkinCarisma flagged Sulfates. Just like mineral oil, it is also a by-product of refining crude oil, aka petroleum, and it is also a mixture of hydrocarbons but with bigger (C18-90+) carbon chain length. A very common silicone that gives both skin and hair a silky smooth feel. Ceramides make up 50% of the goopy stuff that's between our skin cells and play a super important role in having a healthy skin barrier and keeping the skin hydrated. The unfancy name for it is lye. And they are there in big amounts! It is a polymer (created from repeating subunits) molecule and has different molecular weight and thus different viscosity versions from water-light to thick liquid. Developed with dermatologists, the CeraVe Healing Ointment Twin Pack provides intense, long-lasting moisturization and helps protect, soothe, and relieve extremely dry chapped and chafed skin. There are also scar treatment gels out there using dimethicone as their base ingredient. The study concluded that  "based on the animal and human data reported, along with the AAD recommendation, it would appear reasonable to conclude that mineral oil is noncomedogenic in humans.". If the product is too runny, a little xanthan gum will make it more gel-like. It's a type of lipid, a so-called sphingoid base that can be found naturally in the upper layer of the skin. The other thing that mineral oil is really good at is being non-irritating to the skin. They are good friends because ethylhexylglycerin can boost the effectiveness of phenoxyethanol (and other preservatives) and as an added bonus it feels nice on the skin too. It’s the most commonly used version of pure vitamin E in cosmetics. examined this very question and guess what happened? CeraVe Healing Ointment ingredients explained: Petrolatum, Mineral Oil, Paraffin, Ozokerite, Dimethicone, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Ceramide 1, Ceramide 3, Ceramide 6-11, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Panthenol, Water, L … Körperpflege. It’s a humectant meaning that it can help the skin to attract water and then hold onto it. So far we were writing about ceramides in plural. With ceramides. It can boost the effectiveness of phenoxyethanol (and other preservatives) and as an added bonus it feels nice on the skin too. CeraVe's Healing Ointment helps create the ideal environment to repair and restore the protective skin barrier. Sulfates are a large group of ingredients which act as cleansing agents in Cosmetics. If you check out the classic French pharmacy brands and their moisturizers for the most sensitive, allergy prone skin, they usually contain mineral oil. Just like mineral oil, it is also a by-product of refining crude oil, aka petroleum, and it is also a mixture of hydrocarbons but with bigger (C18-90+) carbon chain length.The unique thing about petrolatum is that it is the most effective occlusive agent known today. It is not merely a "by-product" but rather a specifically isolated part of petroleum that is very pure and inert. The famous Vaseline or Petroleum Jelly. Research also shows that it might be useful for wound healing as it promotes fibroblast (nice type of cells in our skin that produce skin-firming collagen) proliferation. Depending on your hair type, it can be a bit difficult to wash out and might cause some build-up (btw, this is not true to all silicones, only the non-volatile types). Skin Protectant. Skin Smarts Home ; Skincare Tips and Advice; Skin Concerns. A clear, oily liquid that comes from refining crude oil. Ceramides make up about 50% of the goopy stuff that's between our skin cells and play a super important role in having a healthy skin barrier and keeping the skin hydrated. A non-essential amino acid (meaning that our body can produce it) that might be able to improve wrinkles combined with other amino acids, glycine and leucine. Developed with dermatologists, CeraVe Healing Ointment for Dry Skin provides intense, long-lasting moisturization and helps protect, soothe, and relieve extremely dry chapped and chafed skin. So if you use a soap and you notice your skin is becoming dry, now you know why. We don't have description for this ingredient yet. As for petrolatum and safety, we can write here pretty much the exact same thing as we have written at mineral oil. Btw, Xanthan gum is all natural, a chain of sugar molecules (polysaccharide) produced from individual sugar molecules (glucose and sucrose) via fermentation. A nice one to spot in the ingredient list. A type of ceramide that can be found naturally in the upper layer of the skin. BTW, lye is not something new. There is emerging research about Phytosphingosine that shows that it has antimicrobial and cell-communicating properties and is considered part of the skin's natural defense system. They help loosen up the dirt and grime from your skin and hair to allow for water to wash it away with ease. Ingredients Home; Benzoyl Peroxide; Ceramides; Dimethicone; Hyaluronic Acid; Lactic Acid; Niacinamide; Petrolatum; Pramoxine Hydrochloride; Retinol; Salicylic Acid; Titanium Dioxide; Urea; Vitamin C; Zinc Oxide; Skin Smarts. Once inside the skin, it hydrates, but not from the outside - putting pure water on the skin (hello long baths!) Sulfates are a large group of ingredients which act as cleansing agents in Cosmetics. It usually has to be neutralized with a base (such as sodium hydroxide) for the thickening to occur and it creates viscous, clear gels that also feel nice and non-tacky on the skin. Compared to the pure form it's more stable, has longer shelf life, but it's also more poorly absorbed by the skin. Hydrating. Our current one, Ceramide 1, or more recently called Ceramide EOP, was the first one that was identified in 1982 and it's a special snowflake. It's one of the important lipids that can be found naturally in the outer layer of the skin. Pure Vitamin E. Great antioxidant that gives significant photoprotection against UVB rays. 3 OZ (85 g) [icon/seal] National Eczema Association. Skin Smarts Home ; Skincare Tips and Advice; Skin Concerns. No wonder, it is a very popular and common ingredient. As for skincare, it makes the skin silky smooth, creates a subtle gloss and forms a protective barrier (aka occlusive). This one is the so-called esterified version. Overall, we feel that the scaremongering around mineral oil is not justified. Ceramides get quite a lot of hype recently and good news: there is a reason for that. Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. The unique thing about petrolatum is that it is the most effective occlusive agent known today. My only complaint is that they don't offered it in a tube with a lip applicator. As for the hair the hydration effect is also true there. I use it for my feet, elbows, at night on my face and neck to help with wrinkles and dry skin, to wake up with it renewed. It usually has to be neutralized with a base (such as sodium hydroxide) for the thickening to occur and it creates viscous, clear gels that also feel nice and non-tacky on the skin. There is no evidence whatsoever that cosmetic, USP grade petrolatum is carcinogenic. It contains the essential fatty acid, linoleic acid and has a unique structure. Ok, so now we know what ceramides are, let's see what they do in our skin: research shows clearly that they play a super important role in keeping the skin barrier healthy and the skin hydrated. Has antimicrobial and cell-communicating properties and is considered to be part of the skin's natural defence system. Oh, and one more thing: alkaline pH inhibits enzymes that help ceramide synthesis in our skin. We wrote in detail at HA about how different molecular weight versions do different things both as a component of the skin and as a skincare ingredient, so click here and read about all the details. Cookies, related technologies and device identification are used for Personalized Advertising. As you might guess from the “pro” part, it’s a precursor to vitamin B5 (whose fancy name is pantothenic acid). We assess the ingredients listed on the labels of personal care products based on data in toxicity and regulatory databases, government and health agency assessments and the open scientific literature. A handy white powder that magically converts a liquid into a nice gel formula. In general, I prefer the thinner texture and find it more wearable. :) You are almost done: please check your mailbox to confirm your email! I really like the Cerave Healing Ointment as a lip balm, cuticle cream, and occasional occlusive. We wrote way more about ceramides at ceramide 1, so click here to know more. About 25% of the goopy stuff between our skin cells consists of cholesterol. Now the question is only this: If we put ceramides all over our face do they work as well as ceramides already naturally in our skin? Along with ceramides 4 and 7, they also play a vital role in epidermal integrity and serve as the main storage areas for linoleic acid (a fatty acid that's also very important for barrier repair). The famous Vaseline or Petroleum Jelly. Other than having a good safety profile and being quite gentle to the skin it has some other advantages too. Key Ingredients: Ceramides 1, 3 and 6-II - help protect skin barrier The healing ointment temporarily protects with a silky, lightweight formula. Acne; Diabetic Skin; Eczema; Itchy Skin; … A hydrocarbon wax consisting mainly of saturated straight chain hydrocarbons with C18-90+ carbon chain length. Btw, Xanthan gum is all natural, a chain of sugar molecules (polysaccharide) produced from individual sugar molecules (glucose and sucrose) via fermentation. It can be used in many types of formulations as it has great thermal stability (can be heated up to 85°C) and works on a wide range of pH levels (ph 3-10). It still often shows up in the ingredient list of soaps and other cleansers. No wonder, it is a very popular and common ingredient. Now the question is only this: If we put ceramides all over our face do they work as well as ceramides already naturally in our skin? Ingredients Home; Benzoyl Peroxide; Ceramides; Dimethicone; Hyaluronic Acid; Lactic Acid; Niacinamide; Petrolatum; Pramoxine Hydrochloride; Retinol; Salicylic Acid; Titanium Dioxide; Urea; Vitamin C; Zinc Oxide; Skin Smarts. The cons of mineral oil CeraVe Healing Ointment is free from SkinCarisma flagged Sulfates. Acne; Diabetic Skin; Eczema; Itchy Skin; … Cerave Ingredients. Overall, it is the gold-standard occlusive agent known today and a tub of Vaseline comes in handy in any household to heal cracked lips or other severely dry skin patches. It's found both in "free-form" and as part of famous skin lipids, ceramides. See 54 member reviews and photos. It is also non-comedogenic, though its pure form is very heavy and greasy so combination and oily skin types might want to avoid it anyway. Thanks. Now, I'm writing the review I never thought would apply to me. Occlusivity is one of the basic mechanisms of how moisturizers work and it means that mineral oil sits on top of the skin and hinders so-called trans-epidermal water loss, i.e water evaporating out of your skin. (Both are over 40% petrolatum.) Ceramides make up 50% of the goopy stuff that's between our skin cells and play a super important role in having a healthy skin barrier and keeping the skin hydrated. It's believed that ceramide 1 plays a "binding role" in the lipid layers of the extracellular matrix. Chemically speaking, ceramides are the connection of a fatty acid and a sphingoid base and both parts can have different variations that result in the different types of ceramides. The TL; Pro-Vitamin B5 is a goodie that moisturises the skin, has anti-inflammatory, skin protecting and wound healing properties. Ceramides make up about 50% of the goopy stuff that's between our skin cells and play a super important role in having a healthy skin barrier and keeping the skin hydrated. A super commonly used thickener and emulsion stabilizer. Thanks. One more thing: the water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized (it means that almost all of the mineral ions inside it is removed). It’s safe and gentle, but even more importantly, it’s not a feared-by-everyone-mostly-without-scientific-reason paraben. It also does not absorb into the skin but sits on top of it and that in itself greatly minimises health risks. The cons of mineral oil A non-essential amino acid (meaning that our body can produce it) that's also one of the major building blocks of collagen. Avene Cicalfate Post-Procedure--Moisturizer. A helper ingredient that's used as a co-emulsifier (meaning next to other emulsifiers in the formula it helps water and oil to mix) and as a stabilization agent for foams. Replenishing. The TL; DR version of HA is that it's a huge polymer (big molecule from repeated subunits) found in the skin that acts as a sponge helping the skin to retain water, making it plump and elastic. As you might guess from the “pro” part, it’s a precursor to vitamin B5 (whose fancy name is pantothenic acid). Pro-Vitamin B5 is a goodie that moisturises the skin, has anti-inflammatory, skin protecting and wound healing properties. If ceramides in the skin are decreased, more water can evaporate from the skin and there is less water remaining in the skin. CeraVe Healing Ointment contains 18 ingredients. 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